Dusty Busterson
OT Supporter
My brother is in alcohol rehab right now. Gonna be a tough road ahead but he's better off now than he was even a few weeks ago. Tips on how to be a good support for someone facing this stuff welcomed 
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crotch
😑
recognize triggers. ask him what triggers him. offer to drive or even go with him to meetings. ask him what to look for, signs that he’s relapsed or is on the cusp. encourage he find a sponsor and above all just encourage he reach out and voice how he’s feeling and on top of all of that congratulate him taking a huge step toward positivity.My brother is in alcohol rehab right now. Gonna be a tough road ahead but he's better off now than he was even a few weeks ago. Tips on how to be a good support for someone facing this stuff welcomed
Take this with a grain of salt as I’m in no place to give advice.My brother is in alcohol rehab right now. Gonna be a tough road ahead but he's better off now than he was even a few weeks ago. Tips on how to be a good support for someone facing this stuff welcomed
When he talks, listen. Also, even though recovery is largely about doing things for yourself, it’s nice to know that you’re making someone else proud for a change vs disappointing them again.
It’s awesome that you are seeking out advice on how to help him. There are also groups specifically for people with friends/family in recovery. Everything crotch said is great too.
In an effort to hold myself more accountable, I’m going to post this. I don’t genuinely expect it to go very well but I figure I owe it to myself to at least make some sort of baby step to addressing things.
So, I’ve decided it’s been quite a few years since I even experienced life without medicine and I’m really just defaulting to thinking things will be the same as they were when I was on a much higher dosage. Based on that, I’m tapering myself off over the next few days. The goal is to go down to nothing over the course of 4-5 days and then get through the withdrawals to see what my body actually does. I know my kidneys are better than they were the last time I tried so I’m hoping it’s tolerable. I don’t want to use my condition as a crutch or excuse to just stay on the medicine if I can function without it.
So we shall see…I’ll post updates just to maintain some sense of responsibility
So, I’ve decided it’s been quite a few years since I even experienced life without medicine and I’m really just defaulting to thinking things will be the same as they were when I was on a much higher dosage. Based on that, I’m tapering myself off over the next few days. The goal is to go down to nothing over the course of 4-5 days and then get through the withdrawals to see what my body actually does. I know my kidneys are better than they were the last time I tried so I’m hoping it’s tolerable. I don’t want to use my condition as a crutch or excuse to just stay on the medicine if I can function without it.
So we shall see…I’ll post updates just to maintain some sense of responsibility
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crotch
😑
i’d recommend seeking your physicians advice on a proper taper schedule imhoIn an effort to hold myself more accountable, I’m going to post this. I don’t genuinely expect it to go very well but I figure I owe it to myself to at least make some sort of baby step to addressing things.
So, I’ve decided it’s been quite a few years since I even experienced life without medicine and I’m really just defaulting to thinking things will be the same as they were when I was on a much higher dosage. Based on that, I’m tapering myself off over the next few days. The goal is to go down to nothing over the course of 4-5 days and then get through the withdrawals to see what my body actually does. I know my kidneys are better than they were the last time I tried so I’m hoping it’s tolerable. I don’t want to use my condition as a crutch or excuse to just stay on the medicine if I can function without it.
So we shall see…I’ll post updates just to maintain some sense of responsibility
Spoke to them earlier with the explanation that I would like to try to come off of them. They told me a few options depending on how aggressively I want to stop. Basically, I’m adding 2 hours to the gap between doses. If I feel too shitty, then I can go backwards and just stick at the lowest dose that is tolerable for a bit. I’m not going to be so stubborn that I hate life but at the same time, that’s kinda part of the process
I don’t want to give myself too much leeway that I can avoid making progress so I am just playing it by ear.
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crotch
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sit down and write it all out so you have a schedule to go by imhoThe 4-5 day thing was really just a rough guess. I haven’t actually done the math to see how long this schedule will take. I’m gonna do that once I’m home and see how the numbers actually turn out. I could be way off
wildflower
OT Supporter
TS
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crotch
😑
TheProwler
OT Supporter
- Aug 18, 2002
- 102,986
I think you might be a good candidate for suboxone. I am not YOUR doctor, so you definitely want to talk to one about this! I'm a surgeon, so I only prescribe short-term pain meds, but I have read/heard quite a few good things about suboxone as "medication-assisted treatment." For most people, going cold turkey means a really high relapse rate. Suboxone does not block all pain medicine effects, but it dampens the highs and lows and keeps it more consistent.
https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment - there are some links that would help you find local resources and prescribers.
Awesome, thank you.
Before someone else mentioned it the other day, I was under the impression that it either blocked them totally or would make you have withdrawal symptoms if you took an opiate while on suboxone, so I was really misinformed
I’ve been reading a bit about it and I am definitely leaning towards starting it. I’m 100% certain I would relapse if I went cold turkey. Quitting isn’t really the goal of tapering now, I just want to know how low of a dosage I can do and still function. It’s been multiple years since I made any real effort to control my usage so I feel like I don’t even remember what my “normal” is. Tentatively, I’m thinking I will do this taper to see where I’m at and then figure out what dosage I’m functioning and comfortable at on my current medication, and then talk to a provider near me to find out about a suboxone regimen.
I work from home and it’s largely at my own pace so I’m not really concerned about that. I could take off completely for about a week if it came down to that though.
TheProwler
OT Supporter
- Aug 18, 2002
- 102,986
I think you're more likely to have success with all of this if you find a specialist who can manage this for you. I certainly couldn't, so doing it yourself is definitely just guesswork. I just saw one of my long-time patients today, and she's using Suboxone to wean down, and she said it is working very well for her.Awesome, thank you.
Before someone else mentioned it the other day, I was under the impression that it either blocked them totally or would make you have withdrawal symptoms if you took an opiate while on suboxone, so I was really misinformed
Tentatively, I’m thinking I will do this taper to see where I’m at and then figure out what dosage I’m functioning and comfortable at on my current medication, and then talk to a provider near me to find out about a suboxone regimen.
Honestly, now that I think about it, that’s likely why I’ve had a ton of trouble with it in the past. I’m decently self-aware EXCEPT when it comes to anything with meds. So you’re right. I shouldn’t be figuring anything out and should just let a professional do it. I’ll make some calls today and see where it gets me. Thank you.
Hoodoo
Well-Known Member
Not being a smartass, but what are the former addicts opinion on drug legalization and injection sites?
Dusty Busterson
OT Supporter
People are going to use drugs whether society agrees with it or not. Might as well make it safe and legal.
stevezissou
OT Supporter
More and more research is showing this is not a good idea.
Kind of like huge government housing complex's aren't built anymore, because when you concentrate that much of a demographic in one area it creates other problems aka "magnet" for other issues.
The government now relies on section 8 vouchers which accomplishes the same thing as housing assistance just using privately managed properties and limiting how many vouchers can be concentrated in an area %wise and per property etc etc.
I completely agree with this, but I also want the option to self medicate at times without breaking the law.
Not sure if there is room for a happy medium, but it would be nice.